UK Hair & Beauty Sector Data Archive

About This Archive

This is an independent collection of official UK government data about the hair and beauty sector, obtained through Freedom of Information requests and publicly available statistical releases.

Why This Exists:

Sector data is often fragmented across different government departments and buried in statistical tables. This archive consolidates key data points into accessible reports, providing transparency for salon owners, policy makers, researchers, and industry professionals.

What's Included

VAT registration and turnover data (HMRC)
Business population estimates (ONS)
Consumer spending trends (ONS, 1985-2025)
Insolvency statistics (The Insolvency Service)
Apprenticeship data (DfE, Skills Development Scotland)
Employment and workforce data (HMRC, ONS)
COVID-19 support programs (British Business Bank)
Company demographics (Companies House)

Data Coverage

Time Period: 2015-2025 (varies by dataset)
Geographic Scope: United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
Sector Definition: SIC Code 96020 (Hairdressing and other beauty treatment)
Update Frequency: As new data becomes available from government sources

Guiding Principles

1. Source Transparency

Every data point is traceable to its original government source:

Freedom of Information request numbers provided
Links to public datasets included
FOI response PDFs available where applicable
Methodology documentation referenced

2. No Cherry-Picking

Data is presented in full context:

Complete time series shown (not just favourable years)
Both increases and decreases reported
Regional variations included
Limitations and caveats noted

3. Independence

This archive is maintained independently with no funding from:

Industry trade bodies or membership organizations
Government departments or agencies
Commercial entities with sector interests

4. Corrections Welcome

If you spot errors or have additional data sources, please contact us. We will update and acknowledge corrections promptly.

Data Sources

Government Departments & Agencies

HMRC: VAT registrations, turnover data, self-employment statistics
ONS: Business population, employment, consumer spending
Companies House: Company registrations and demographics
The Insolvency Service: Company insolvencies
DfE: Apprenticeship statistics (England)
Skills Development Scotland: Apprenticeship statistics (Scotland)
British Business Bank: Bounce Back Loan Scheme data

Data Collection Methods

Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests
Published statistical releases
Open data portals
Official sector reports

FOI Request References

All FOI requests can be independently verified using these reference numbers:

FOI2024/15284 (HMRC VAT data, regional breakdowns)
FOI2024/200347 (HMRC self-employment and Flat Rate VAT)
Additional FOI references provided in individual data sections

Methodology

Data Processing

Original government data is presented with minimal processing:

Calculations clearly labelled (percentages, averages, year-on-year changes)
Aggregations explained (e.g., combining regional data)
Estimates distinguished from actual figures
Assumptions stated explicitly

Quality Checks

Cross-referencing between different data sources
Verification of calculations
Consistency checks across time periods
Validation against published government reports

Limitations

Government data has inherent limitations:

Different datasets use different time periods and definitions
Some data excludes businesses below reporting thresholds
Regional breakdowns may use different geographic classifications
Time lags between data collection and publication
Survey-based estimates have margins of error

These limitations are noted where relevant in individual datasets.

How to Use This Data

For Different Audiences

For Salon Owners

Benchmark your business against sector averages
Understand regional market differences
Track sector trends over time
Verify claims made by industry bodies

For Researchers

Verifiable government data sources
Long time series for trend analysis
Regional breakdowns for geographic studies
Complete citation information provided

For Industry Professionals

Regional breakdowns available
Time series data
Benchmarking data
Apprenticeship statistics

For Policy Analysis

Statistics by time period and region
Historical data for trends
Regional variations across UK
Multiple economic cycles covered

Available Data

Data Reports

Business & Economic Data

Comprehensive market size data from consumer spending to business turnover (2018-2025)

£9.10bn total consumer spending
£5.78bn formal business turnover
14,900 VAT-registered businesses
Regional breakdowns

Insolvency Statistics

Company insolvencies 2015-2025

Annual insolvency counts
Regional distribution
Comparative data (vs all UK businesses)
10-year time series

Apprenticeship Statistics

England and Scotland apprenticeships (2015-2024)

Annual starts and completions
Completion rates
Demographics (age groups)
Advanced apprenticeships

Employment & Workforce Data

PAYE employment and self-employment statistics

Employment trends
Self-employment data
Workforce composition
HMRC data

Consumer Spending Data

ONS consumer spending statistics (1985-2025)

40-year spending trends
Inflation-adjusted figures
Per capita spending
Household expenditure data

COVID-19 Support Programs

Bounce Back Loan Scheme and government support data

BBLS sector data
Loan amounts and distribution
Regional breakdown
British Business Bank data

Company Demographics

Companies House business population data

Company registrations
Business types and structures
Regional distribution
76,404 registered companies

Ireland Employment Data

CSO employment and market analysis

Ireland CSO employment data (2007-2025)
VAT rate timeline and impact analysis
Self-employment vs PAYE breakdown (coming soon)
Per capita employment comparisons

Reference Information

Tax & National Insurance Contributions

Reference guide to UK tax and NIC rates by employment status (2024/25)

Income tax rates
National Insurance rates (employed and self-employed)
Benefits entitlements
VAT thresholds

Sector Overview: Understanding Market Size

Three different measurements provide different perspectives on sector size:

1. Total Consumer Market (DEMAND SIDE)

ONS Consumer Spending Data (COICOP 12.1.3):

£9.10 billion (2025)

Total consumer expenditure on hair & beauty services
Includes ALL spending: formal salons, mobile operators, below-threshold businesses, cash economy
Measured through household surveys
Represents total market demand

2. Formal Business Economy (SUPPLY SIDE)

ONS Business Population Estimates (March 2024):

£5.78 billion turnover

49,320 total businesses (VAT and/or PAYE registered)
179,236 total employment
160,602 employees
Scope: All VAT and/or PAYE registered businesses
Measured through business surveys and tax records

Note: The £3.32bn gap between consumer spending (£9.10bn) and formal business turnover (£5.78bn) reflects legitimate below-threshold operators, tips, measurement methodology differences, and some informal economy activity.

3. VAT-Registered Businesses Only (LARGE OPERATORS)

HMRC VAT Registration Data (2022-23):

£3.15 billion turnover

14,900 VAT-registered businesses
Scope: Businesses with turnover above £90,000 (VAT threshold)
Source: FOI2024/15284 (verified tax data)
Most precise measurement but only covers larger businesses

Note: The difference between formal business turnover (£5.78bn) and VAT-registered turnover (£3.15bn) represents approximately 34,420 businesses operating legitimately below the £90,000 VAT threshold.

Understanding the Three Measurements

Why three different figures?

Consumer Spending (£9.10bn): Best for understanding total market size and demand
Formal Business Turnover (£5.78bn): Best for understanding the registered business sector
VAT-Registered Only (£3.15bn): Most precise measurement but excludes 70% of businesses

None of these figures is "wrong" - they measure different aspects of the market. For comprehensive sector analysis, all three perspectives are valuable.

See the Business & Economic Data report for detailed analysis of these measurements and their implications.

Download Formats

Data available in multiple formats:

HTML: Formatted reports with tables and charts
Excel/CSV: Raw data for analysis (where available)
PDF: Original FOI responses (in sources section)

Citation

When citing this data:

Clelland, A. (2025). UK Hair & Beauty Sector Data Collection. Retrieved from data.salonlogicpro.co.uk

For specific datasets, cite the underlying government source listed in each section.

Version History

Version 1.1 (October 2025)

Updated sector overview to include three-tier market measurement
Added consumer spending data (£9.10bn) as primary market indicator
Clarified relationship between consumer spending, formal business turnover, and VAT-registered data
Enhanced explanation of measurement methodology differences

Version 1.0 (October 2025)

Initial publication
Data through April 2025 (insolvencies)
Tax year 2023-24 (HMRC data)
Academic year 2023-24 (apprenticeships)

Future Updates: Version history will track all additions and corrections to the archive.

Acknowledgments

This collection would not be possible without:

The UK Freedom of Information Act 2000
Government departments that publish sector statistics
FOI officers who processed requests

Contact

Questions or Requests

For:

Additional analysis
Different time periods
Regional breakdowns
Methodology clarification

Contact: andrew@salonlogic.co.uk

Updates & Corrections

To be notified of new data additions, or to report errors, contact the above email.

About

This data collection is maintained independently. No funding from industry bodies, government, or commercial entities.

Compiled by: Andrew Clelland
Background: Salon industry software developer with interest in sector data